Warner Bros. Can’t Get Their Dark Tower Up

Ron Howard's ambitious adaptation of the Stephen King novels has been toppled by yet another major studio.

It's been a long strange trip for Roland Deschain, and it's either getting a lot longer or finally at an end. Variety reports that Warner Bros. has passed on Ron Howard's ambitious multi-film adaptation of the Stephen King series The Dark Tower, about a fabled gunslinger on a quest to find the titular spire which is said to be the nexus of all universes, and which might be able to save the world. Television mini-series were planned to bridge each motion picture in the franchise.

The adaptation, which was to be written by Akiva Goldsman (A Beautiful Mind, Batman & Robin), was originally set up at Universal, which ultimately passed on the risky production. Howard had retained the right to shop the project around to other studios, with Warner Bros. seriously considering take up the reins, possibly with Russell Crowe starring as Deschain. He would have taken over the lead role from Javier Bardem, who was attached to the project in its Universal days.

With Warner Bros. out of the picture (in more ways than one), there are few studios with enough clout and financial stability who seem likely to pick up the rights to potential franchise, but Ron Howard seems particularly committed to this project, and we wouldn't be surprised if The Dark Tower rises once more. And we really won't be surprised if it falls all over again.

CraveOnline will be back with more The Dark Tower news. Yes, we will. It's only a matter of time.